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can't really explain too much more without going into novel spoilers, but suffice to say that a holodeck to SAO is like a Ferrari to a golf cart, they both have 4 wheels and can be driven around, but nowhere near the same class.

Also, you know, he could jump 30 feet in the air to smack a dragon in the face or run straight up walls. Even if we assume the physics engine is perfectly accurate, the circumstances of the players was nowhere near realistic. They weren't moving in human ways or subject to human limitations.

Also, you know, he could jump 30 feet in the air to smack a dragon in the face or run straight up walls. Even if we assume the physics engine is perfectly accurate, the circumstances of the players was nowhere near realistic. They weren't moving in human ways or subject to human limitations.

To be precise they move with aid from the system, especially for skill and acrobatic move.

It took me a while to really get around to this latest episode, but yeah I stand by my earlier assertation that this feels a lot like an episode of Accel World rather than the SAO I had come to know. Not only are there very similar elements to this episode like the Kendo, love interest being in a coma, and the douchebag antagonist that feels it's his right to just usurp whatever he can from others, but even the pacing was more deliberate and focused like that shows whereas the previous arc kind of felt like it was gogogogogogogeteverythinginthereohmygodgottagogogo googo!!!

The little sister that can't be that cute is definitely something completely different though as are the obvious undertones. I think what struck me the most is neither seemed all that bothered by the fact that Suguha had most of her pajama dress completely undone at the end of the episode. Yeah not sure what it is with Light Novels and little sister fetishes, but it definitely seems to be a thing. I assume once Asuna is back in the picture more that vibe will fade, although the one other thing that's definitely different from Accel World is I could never picture it's heroine Kuroyukihime allowing herself to be caged like that. If someone tried to pull the things that Suguo did she'd probably just be all like,

and kick her assailants ass into next tuesday, but then again who knows what really happened to Asuna. I'd like to think the implication isn't that she got captured just because Kirito wasn't there to guard her, but I assume we'll be finding out shortly and that Suguo has more than a few things to do with it seeing as he's supposed to have influence over the system that is sustaining the people still trapped in the game world, maybe even being the direct cause of it.

Anyway some good things leading into this arc and some other kind of creepy ones as well. I'll just see where this goes from here, but something tells me it's going to continue to be more and more different from the Aincrad arc.

Last edited by relentlessflame; 2012-10-15 at 11:59.
Reason: Added spoiler tags for the comparison, just because not everyone has seen Accel World yet...

I'd like to think the implication isn't that she got captured just because Kirito wasn't there to guard her, but I assume we'll be finding out shortly and that Suguo has more than a few things to do with it seeing as he's supposed to have influence over the system that is sustaining the people still trapped in the game world, maybe even being the direct cause of it.

Yes, I think whether Kirito was "there to guard her" or not was irrelevant -- what could he have done? Someone on the outside was pulling the strings. For all it matters, I suppose they could have both ended up trapped in the other world, but this way it allows us to see a little bit of what's going on in "real life" before just jumping into the next game. And, indeed, we can't really assume that she's just sitting there doing nothing, waiting for her prince charming to rescue her either. After all, she already got over that in Aincrad and became a key player in one of the game's strongest guilds on her own strength/ability. She never lost any of that strength. I'm sure she's doing whatever she is able to do wherever she is now, even if her options are limited.

As far as the distressed damsel elements go, we should keep in mind that she's in a game. Her entrapment may be more encompassing than the usual "put behind bars" bit, as her actions and abilities could be restricted via game commands, just like how Kayaba paralyzed an entire raid party so he could have a deathmatch with Kirito without interference. Add in new game stats and such, she might not be able to fight back, lacking any experience points to level up and increase her power.

Yes, Asuna broke free of that via... whatever glitch or willpower or magical means or whatever, but we should keep in mind why she did that--to save Kirito's life. And in this new game... there's no Kirito to protect. Hell, for all she knows, he could be dead, taken out by Sword Art Online's deletion, which could easily destroy her willpower. Whoever is keeping her captive could be feeding her any kind of bullshit and she wouldn't be able to find out the truth.

Did SAO just pull a “Your Princes is in another castle” cliche? That’s our “tough” action female protagonist folks, reduced to nothing more than a damsel to be rescued.

To be fair I did like the shift to the real world since it gives a fresh new perspective for the series, something the show really needed at this point.

Sugu herself is may be the most interesting character in SAO so far. She is undermined however because she’s reduced to another girl fawning for Kirito. What’s the point? They already set KiritoxAsuna in stone and its just painful to see that Sugu obviously has no chance. Is the author hellbent on trying to convince me that Kirito is the hot stuff?

And then that douchebag fiance really killed off my good mood. Its so annoying how unsubtle he is he might as well have grown a twirly mustache and tie Asuna to some train tracks. That’s our antagonist? Because I can tell I’m going to hate this arc already. I’m already getting Noumi flashbacks. I can only hope that his presence in the series won’t be as painfully long like Accel World was.

Honestly, given that the theme of the episode was "Kirito is useless in real life", I don't see how it could possibly be implied that Asuna's in trouble simply because he wasn't there. If anything, it's implied that she's in trouble despite him being there.

Seriously, every single thing that happened in this episode was about how helpless he is. Even as a master swordsman in the game, he can't beat someone in real life. Even as Asuna's husband all he can do for her is visit her in the hospital. And then this slimy new guy comes in and specifically mocks him about how helpless he is to resist even when the sinister plan is explained to him in full. We don't yet know what the deal with Asuna is yet, but it's certainly implied that Kirito's presence doesn't make a lick of difference.

Did SAO just pull a “Your Princes is in another castle” cliche? That’s our “tough” action female protagonist folks, reduced to nothing more than a damsel to be rescued.

It's the kind of anime where someone gets in trouble and someone rides to the rescue. I suppose they could have put Kirito in a cage and have Asuna rescue him, but then they'd have been charged with emasculating him.

You want damsels in distress? Kayaba abducted 10000 people. Most of them male. The only reason they could do something about their condition was that Kayaba decided to let them. It's not about physical or mental power. Sometimes you're handed a raw deal by something or someone you can't do anything against.

...I'm temporarily dropping this until someone tells me the arc is over.

No, fuck no, just no, get me out of NTR online.

At least Kayaba Akihiko was legitimately insane with his own sense of twisted "chivalry," not a slurping-over-the-heroine bitch. It was a crazy idea and it killed thousands, but in fiction, the genocidal world-destroyer is often a far more tolerable antagonist than the petty dirty love rival or evil relative type.

It's the kind of anime where someone gets in trouble and someone rides to the rescue. I suppose they could have put Kirito in a cage and have Asuna rescue him, but then they'd have been charged with emasculating him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clarste

Honestly, given that the theme of the episode was "Kirito is useless in real life", I don't see how it could possibly be implied that Asuna's in trouble simply because he wasn't there. If anything, it's implied that she's in trouble despite him being there.

It's interesting to put your two posts together. Really, both of them are trapped in opposite "dimensions". Kazuto may be "free" in the real world, but as long Asuna isn't there (and she's out there somewhere), he isn't really free -- his "heart" is still trapped in SAO, just like in that opening dream (until it came crashing to a halt). I'd say that was really the main theme of the episode -- not so much that "Kirito is useless in real life" (though he may be), but that neither of them are free yet. I think Kirito would rather be trapped along side her than "free" in the real world without her (but, obviously, better still if they could both be set free).

...I'm temporarily dropping this until someone tells me the arc is over.

No, fuck no, just no, get me out of NTR online.

At least Kayaba Akihiko was legitimately insane with his own sense of twisted "chivalry," not a slurping-over-the-heroine bitch. It was a crazy idea and it killed thousands, but in fiction, the genocidal world-destroyer is often a far more tolerable antagonist than the petty dirty love rival or evil relative type.

Too bad, I like the imouto. I'll catch up to her later I guess.

NTR was inevitable, I'm afraid. You're just kidding yourself if you think someone as hot as Asuna would settle for just one guy. =_= I bet that even during their honeymoon period she was seeing two or three other men on the side.

...I'm temporarily dropping this until someone tells me the arc is over.

No, fuck no, just no, get me out of NTR online.

At least Kayaba Akihiko was legitimately insane with his own sense of twisted "chivalry," not a slurping-over-the-heroine bitch. It was a crazy idea and it killed thousands, but in fiction, the genocidal world-destroyer is often a far more tolerable antagonist than the petty dirty love rival or evil relative type.

Too bad, I like the imouto. I'll catch up to her later I guess.

Oh c'mon, you know Evil will not prevail.

I'm liking how much of a trash this Dio-with-glasses is acting, when he finally gets what's coming to him, it'll be that much sweeter.
Until then, I'm going to keep telling myself "no, he's not doing anything to Asuna's body while she lie there helpless".

NTR was inevitable, I'm afraid. You're just kidding yourself if you think someone as hot as Asuna would settle for just one guy. =_= I bet that even during their honeymoon period she was seeing two or three other men on the side.

...what kind of strange doujin have you be reading?

Quote:

Originally Posted by aohige

Oh c'mon, you know Evil will not prevail.

It's one thing for the heroes to be powerless against a madman with great intellect and powers for half the show, it's another be powerless against a cheap Asian drama antagonist. I'm only M for pretty women, not dirty rich assholes.

But I guess I'll stick around and rage in my corner once in a while. I still want see Kiri-kun gets his happy ending. :/

This arc is overall more generic than SAO, if that's possible. Now we have a more generic Villain, a damsel in distress to be rescued, and even a non-related imouto who wants into onii-chan's pants, etc.

This was said way way way back, but I must admit that I agree, whereas the level of detail that went in to describing SAO and making it feel like a real world within a world .. and the death-game aspect of it all was intriguing..

This arc feels just like a typical run-of-the-mill plot in comparison.. At least to me anyways..

At least Kayaba Akihiko was legitimately insane with his own sense of twisted "chivalry," not a slurping-over-the-heroine bitch. It was a crazy idea and it killed thousands, but in fiction, the genocidal world-destroyer is often a far more tolerable antagonist than the petty dirty love rival or evil relative type.

You're gonna wish more people believe this than otherwise. Especially with this author .

Quote:

Originally Posted by aohige

Until then, I'm going to keep telling myself "no, he's not doing anything to Asuna's body while she lie there helpless".